Flying machine



1175)@ 1393.5 hff w. E. @Em/ELL -FUIING MACHINE Filed May e, 1924 3 Sheetshee; 1 i

I N VEN TOR.

l B mmf;

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 8l 1925.l

w., B. SEWELL FLYING MACHINE Filed Mafy 6, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTGRNEY.

Patented Dec. l8, 1925. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

WILLIAM B. sEWELn, on DENVER, COLORADO.

FLXING MACHINE'.

Appu'eation nieu nay'v e,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WXLLIAM B-.-ISYEWELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at v l'Tenver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have vinvented certalnnew and useful Improvements in Flying'Machines, of

which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to flying-machlne's and its primary object is to provide a1V heavier-than-air flying machine of simple construction which is sustained in flight without the essential- 'use of supporting planes.

lVith this object in view myy invention consists in providing an elongated body of light but rigid construction which has a horizontal air-passage open at the ends thereof.-

A propeller is mounted to rotate in a transverse plane .inside the passage, in conf nection with a` conveniently located engine and horizontal andvertical rudders are pro 4vided to direct the course lof the machine.'

A cabin containing'thecontrolling devices of the engineand the rudders, and a tank for the supplyof fuelto tlie'en'gine are arranged to maintain the machine on an even keel in a straight-away flight under. normal conditions and small supporting planes may b e i providerlin the form of laterally projecting longitudinal fins or Wings to increase the stability of the vessel.

An embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the several views of 'which like parts are similarly designated and in which- .Figure 1 represents a longitudinalaxial section of a flying machine built in accord ance with the invention;

Figure 2, a side elevation of the machinedrawn toa reduced scale;

, Figure 3, a composite front end view and transverse section of the machine, the plane of the section having been indicated in Figure 1 by the line 3-8; and

Figure il, a sectional top viewncf themachine` in which the-cabinand the outer shell have been drawn vin section whilevthe inner cylinder which forms the horizontal air-passage hereinbefore 'refcrred gto, is shown `in plan. s i

lefcrring'more specifically to the drawn inlgs, the body of the air-ship is composed of an open-ended cylinder 5 and a surrounding hull G of truncated torpedo form', thehull and 'the cylinder being'rigidly connected by 1924. ,Serial No. 711,468.

inter-posed stays or braces 7 vas best shown in Figures 3 and 4.

A cabin 8 is built in openings in the upper vport-ions of the"cylind er and th Ihull intermediate of the ends thereof ancl an inclined, plane 9 vconnects the forward ends of the `body and the cabin inside the cylinder to cover the movement-resisting surface presented by the front-of the cabin.`

N V'121e roof l() of the cabinis curved in continuity with .the-curvature of. the outer lsurface of the hull, windows 12 are placed in 'l ihewalls of the cabin to givean unobstructed View to the occupants lof the vessel and a vdoor 13 reached by stepsli on the outside A`of the hull closes an entrance to the cabin.'

In the space between the cylinder and the hullimmediately beneath the cabin,is a tank i 15 containing the liquid fuel for the engine and it will be evident that the cabin and the tank thus centrally disposedare an impor-iv tant factor in Imaintaining the equilibrium :of the vessel in Hight. t

`Longitudinal in s 16j projecting laterally from the hull inthehorizontal plane of its chine but it shouldbe'understoo'd that they are not an essential feature of the construc- The air-ship 1s as usual provided with -Wheels 17 for lits movable'support on the ground when not in flight. l

The propeller 18 which in the operation of the'machine acts yupon the air inside the` horizontal passage provided by the cylinder 5, isvmounted at an' endAof the shaft @of an 'engine 19, preferably of the `internal v combustion type, which is supported by al strucv'ture represented in Figure 1 of the draw- 'in gs by the uprights 20;v It will bel evident, however, that the engine may be placed in a different positionfon the vessel and connected with the 'propeller by gearing or other motion-transmitting means if by doing longitudinal axis aidin stabilizingl the malic so the stability of the vessel or the power' of the propeller are increased, it being desirable that the propeller rotating in a vertical transverse plane inside the cylinder, be

I capable of acting to its full capacity upon respective bars and roven over sheaves 26 in titi.

` planes-,and the vertical rudder the space between the cylinder and the hull at the bottom of the vessel.

The adjustment of the connected series of planes is effected through the medium of a lever 27 fulcrumed in the cabin within easy reach of an operator occupying a seat-29, and connected with vthe bars 23 of the planes' at the front 'of the machine by ropes 30 rove over sheaves 31.

By changing the angle of incidence of the planes, the vessel is directed to either rise from the ground at the beginning of a flight. to change its elevation during flight or to return to the earth, and the planes furthermore aid in sustaining and stabilizing the vessel, when they extend in a horizontal po-l sition during straightaway flight.

The course of the vessel in a horizontal direction .is governed by means of a vertical rudder 32 mounted to move about a vertical axisat the rear end of the vessel inside its horizontal air-passage. the position of the rudder being controlled by a lever Amounted 'to move about a fulcrum alined with that of the lever 27 and connected with a tiller 34 at the upper end of the rudder b y ropes 35 rove over sheaves 86.

In the operation of the flying machine, the propeller forces the vessel forward by its reaction upon the air inside the cylinder, the iii: current drawn through the cylinder sus- -tainsthe machine in flight aided by the re- 21 and 22 in a horizontal position or at a smallangle of incidence, the planes, the vertical rudder and the fins 16, aided by the -proper distribution of the weight of the engine, cabin, fuel tank and other appli'- ances, coordinate in maintaining the Vlateral stability or equilibrium of the vessel, and the controlled by the operator of the vessel as hereinbefore described, direct the course ot' the vessel by increasing or diminishing the Wind resistance or air pressure in both a horizontal and a vertical direction.

Having lthus decsribediny improved fly- 1. A flying machine comprising a body` having a horizontal air-passage open at opposite ends thereof, a propeller acting on air in the passage, and longitudinal fins tapering to the ends of the body.

2. A flying machine comprisinga body having a horizontal air-passage open at opposite ends thereof, a propeller acting on air in the" assage, and a cabin and a fuel tank lcentral y disposed' on the body above and below the 'passage 3. A liying machine comprising a cylinder open at opposite ends thereof,l a propeller acting on air passing through the cylinder, a. cabin in an opening of the hull above the cylinder, and a luel tank in the space of the hull, below the cylinder.

4. A flying machine comprising a body having a horizontal air passage, a propeller acting upon air in the passage, series of horizontal planes in the passage at opposite v ends thereof, a vertical rudder in the pas sage, and means outside the passage to regulate the positions of the planesand the rudder and to-,eontrol the operation of the propeller.

5. A flying machine comprising a body having a horizontal air passage, a propeller. a motor for the' propeller, rudders to direct the course of the vessel, and fixed horizontal fins extending lengthwise of the body and tapering to the ends thereof.

6. A. flying machine comprising a body having a horizontal air passage, a cabin above and partially within the passage, a fuel tank beneath the passage. a propeller in the passage, a motorl for the propeller.,

lOO

rudders to direct the course of the machine,

and means in the cabin to control the position of the rudders and the operation of the propeller.

7. A flying machine comprising a body having a, horizontal air passage, a cabin above and partially within the passage, a

fuel tank beneath the passage, a propeller in the passage, a motor for the propeller',

rudders to direct the course of the machine,l

means in the cabin to control the position of the rudders and the operation of the propeller, of the cabin'inside the. passage to direct aircurrents to the propeller. p

I ln testimony whereof l have allixed my signature.

llflLLlAltf B. SEVVELL.'

and a siuface slanting to the portion 

